Clamp and tensioning means for bag necks and the like

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for securing the open end of a bag neck over a conduit and tensioning the bag neck by holding the bagged product tensioned away from the securing means. In its preferred forms the securing means is a clamp including two arms that pivot to clamp a bag&#39;&#39;s neck portion against a conduit and are held in clamping position by a catch means at their outer ends. The arms are geared together for complimentary pivoting, biased to the open position, and open and close by pivoting across one another. The tensioning means is a chute having an inclined surface inclined away from the position where the bag is secured.

United States Patent [191 Bowden, Jr. et al.

[451 Jan. 30, 1973 CLAMP AND TENSIONING MEANS FOR BAG NECKS AND THE LIKE [73] Assignee: W. R. Grace & C0., Duncan, S.C.

[22] Filed: Dec. 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 97,701

{52] U.S.Cl. ..53/1l2 B, 269/157 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b 31/04 [58] Field of Search ..53/22 B, 24,112 B, 124 R, 53/390, 393; 269/126, 127, 209, 90,157;

24/249 PP, 249 LL, 249 SL, 249 R, 248 B1,

248 SB, 248 SL, 248 R, 132 R, 30.5

2,732,988 1/1956 Feinstein ..53/1l2 B X 2,749,686 6/1956 Lorenz et al. ..53/112 B X 2,877,615 3/1959 Foster ..53/l12 BX 3,304,687 2/1967 Tomczak et a1 ..53/l12 B X 3,376,690 4/1968 3,516,223 6/1970 Andersen ct a] ..53/l12 B Primary ExaminerTravis S, McGehee Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver AttorneyJohn J. Toney, William D. Lee, Jr. and Edward J. Hanson, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT An apparatus and method for securing the open end of a bag neck over a conduit and tensioning the bag neck by holding the bagged product tensioned away from the securing means. In its preferred forms the securing means is a clamp including two arms that pivot to clamp a bags neck portion against a conduit and are held in clamping position by a catch means at their outer ends. The arms are geared together for complimentary pivoting, biased to the open position, and open and close by pivoting across one another. The tensioning means is a chute having an inclined surface inclined away from the position where the bag is secured.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAHEIO I975 3.7 l 3, 267 sum 1 [IF 2 FIG.

INVENTORS WO ODROW R BOWDEN, JR.

DAVE L. OWEN ORVILLE M. CALVERT EDWARD L. HOLCOMBE ATTOR PATENTEDJAN 30 I975 SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG. 5

CLAMP AND TENSIONING MEANS FOR BAG NECKS AND THE LIKE This application is related to copending application U.S. Ser. No. 97,703 filed on Dec. 14, I970 entitled vacuumizing System invented by Holcombe, Calvert and Kessel and assigned to the same assignee as this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for supporting and positioning bagged products and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to positioning and holding the bag neck of a bagged product and tensioning the bag neck. In special aspects the invention relates to a clamp.

This invention is particularly adapted to position the bag neck of a bagged product for vacuumizing and closing of the bagged product or package. The invention is particularly useful in packaging poultry and fresh red meat products such as beef and the like. In the past it has been common practice to manually manipulate the bags neck during processing for securing it on a vacuumizing means and also for positioning the bags neck in a closing means such as a clipper. The bagged products were transported between processing stations by simply laying them in predetermined disposition at regular intervals on conveying surfaces and the like. The types of bag neck positioning and holding mechanisms employed in the past, when any specalized device was employed, generally constituted bag neck gripping and lifting type means such as are shown in US. Pat. No. 3,094,825 assigned to the same assignee as this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION By an aspect of this invention in a preferred form thereof an apparatus is provided for positioning and holding a bag neck of a bagged product. The apparatus includes a bag neck securing means that preferably includes an open conduit and a means for securing the neck of the bag in position over the conduit. The bags neck is secured and trapped between the conduit and an encompassing means. A tensioning means holds the bagged product tensioned away from the securing means. In its preferred form the tensioning means includes an inclined surface sloping away from the securing means. The tensioning means holds the bags neck sufficiently taut to substantially prevent its collapse due to a vacuum of intended strength being pulled therethrough.

By a particular aspect of this invention a specialized clamp is provided. The clamp in its preferred form includes a first pivotal arm and a second pivotal arm with meshed gears connecting the pivotal arms for complimentary pivotal movement. A catch is provided at the outer ends of the pivotal arms for securing the pivotal arms in clamping position. Preferably the pivotal arms pivot across one another to open and close. The clamp in its preferred form includes the conduit against which the arms engage. The conduit preferably has at least a portion moveable in response to the clamping action to align the conduit with the pivotal arms during clamping of the conduit therebetween.

By another aspect of this invention in a preferred form thereof a method is provided for positioning and holding the neck of a bag of a bagged product. The method includes securing the open end of the bag over a conduit and continuously pulling the bag away from its securing by placing the bag on an inclined plane slanting away from the securing region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the positioning, holding and tensioning apparatus with a bagged product shown in phantom mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the clamp shown in FIG. 1 differing slightly from the specie of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the mounting base of the clamp of FIG. 2 looking into the housing and showing the spring biasing means therein.

FIG. 4 is a view of a portion of the clamp of FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the restraining chute of FIG. 1 with its inclined surface shown in phantom line.

DISCUSSION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Looking first at FIG. 1, a bag 10 is shown in phantom line. The bag is shown enlarged at its outer or bottom end to indicate that it is loaded with a product. The bag is secured to and mounted on an apparatus or device 12 which includes a conduit 14. The conduit is suitable for extracting air from the bag when it is connected to a vacuumizing source. Thus a bagged product may be suitably vacuumized via the conduit. The apparatus 12 also includes a clamp 16 and an inclined chute 18. The clamp 16 secures or clamps the neck of the bag 10 onto the outer circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical conduit 14 and thus these surfaces of the conduit 14 serve as a part of the clamping means. A frame member 20 interconnects the parts or elements 14, 16 and 18.

Looking now at FIG. 2 the clamp 16 is shown in greater detail. The clamp has a first arm 22 and a second arm 24 and a first shaft 26 mounting one end of the first arm 22 for pivotal movement and a second shaft 28 mounting one end of the second arm 24 for pivotal movement. The second shaft 28 is adjacent to and has an axis parallel to the axis of the first shaft 26. The arms 22 and 24 have facing circumferential clamping surfaces 30 and 32 respectively at their other or outer ends. These clamping surfaces 30 and 32 are engageable about the conduit which has complimentary cylindrical surfaces as shown in FIG. 1. When the clamp is closed on the conduit it forms means encompassing the conduit. There are instances when other encompassing means might be employed to secure the bag neck about the conduit. For example in certain instances, although not preferred, a heavy rubber band could be tied about the bags neck to clamp it securely on the conduit.

There is one functional difference between the clamping arrangement shown in FIG. 1 and that shown in FIG. 2. The clamp in FIG. 2 has resilient rubber facing members 34 and 36 on respective circumferential clamping surfaces 30 and 32. If a solid conduit tube made of metal is employed these are found to be desirable to assist in taking up for any misalignment of the conduit 14 and the clamp 16 and also any excessive bulking up of the material of the bags neck at a particular region as against other regions, which bulking up might otherwise cause substantial leaking around the conduit. The specie shown in FIG. 1 does not have the resilient facing members 34 and 36, but instead, the end of the conduit 14 has a Tygon tube conduit 38 at its outer end which is secured to the metal part of the conduit 14 by a hose type ferrule 39. This tubing portion of the conduit is resilient, flexible and moveable, providing excellent adjustment or tolerance control for any misalignment between the clamp arms 22 and 24 and the conduit 14 and also compensating for any bulking up of the material of the bag neck in a specific region and providing a good sealing with the arms. The gauge or thickness of the material in the resilient plastic tubing is sufficiently heavy so that it will not excessively yield to the clamping forces. It is the arms 22 and 24 in clamping action with the conduit 14 that hold the bag secured in air tight engagement between the clamping surfaces of the clamp and the clamping surfaces of the conduit 14 and together function as a single clamp.

Looking once again at FIG. 2, it may be seen that the clamp is operated by a handle 40 which is an integral part of the arm 22. Gears 42 are provided on the first shaft 26 and gears 44 are provided on the second shaft 28. The gears are meshed to connect the first arm 22 with the second arm 24 for complimentary pivotal movement upon the movement of the handle 40. It may be seen from the phantom line presentation that the arms 22 and 24 pivot in parallel overlapping planes across one another to open and close with one another.

Looking now at FIGS. 2 and 3, it may be seen that the clamp includes biasing means including a spring 46, mounted around the first shaft 26 and a pin 48 mounted on the second shaft 28. The spring 46 is engaged at one end against the upper wall 52 of the housing 50 and the other end of spring 46 is engaged against pin 48. The spring is trapped between wall 52 and pin 48 in tensioned condition so that it pushes the shaft 26 and 28 into open pivotal rotation by its natural bias.

Looking now in particular at FIGS. 2 and 4, a catch means 54 is shown at the upper or outer ends of the arms 22 and 24 securing the arms together in clamped position. The arms have overlapping surfaces at their outer ends that pass one another in closing as may be seen and understood from FIGS. 1 and 2. The catch means includes a recess 56 in the surface of arm 22 that overlaps the surface of the opposite arm 24 when the arms are closed. A leaf spring 58 is mounted on arm 24, and biased toward arm 22. The leaf spring is cammed toward its mounting arm 24 by the overlapping surface of the arm 22 when the arms are closed together. The

leaf spring moves by its bias into the recess 56 upon full closure of the arms bringing the tip of the leaf spring 58 into alignment with the recess 56, thereby providing a detent means or action. A plunger 60 passes into the bottom of the recess 56 from the side of the arm 22 opposite the arm 24. The plunger is therefore communicable with the bottom of the recess for dislodging the spring means 58 for opening the catch means 54.

Looking next at FIG. 1 and 5, tensioning means is shown. It is the inclined chute means 18. The chute means includes mounting and support frame 62, outer chute guide walls 64 and 66 and inclined lower wall 68. The inclined slant of the lower wall 68 has a sufficient angle of descent to tension the neck of the bag between the chute l8 and the securing means which includes clamp 16 and the clamping surface of the conduit 14 with which the clamp engages. The products weight pulls the bag back down the inclined surface with sufficient force to prevent the vacuum draw down from collapsing the bags neck. Of course the external air pressure pushing in on the bag actually collapses the bags neck in response to the vacuum being drawn through the neck. To prevent the bags neck from being drawn down onto the upper edge of the inclined chute surface until this surface pushes the bottom portion of the bags neck against the top portion of the neck closing the bag neck, it is necessary to restrain the downwardmovement of the bag on the inclined plane. This is done by preventing the bag from sliding down the inclined plane to such an extent. This is done either by providing a restraining surface or member below the inclined region of the chute or position the chute a sufficient distance from the securing arrangement so that the bag is held by the securing means from sliding that far down the chute. In other words the necessary relationship is one that will allow at least the upper portion of the conduit to hold the upper portion of the bag neck away from the top edge of the inclined surface 68.

OPERATION It is intended to position and hold the neck of a bag securely around the open end of a vacuumizing conduit or to some other securing means and continuously pull the bag away therefrom and thereby tension the neck of the bag. To this end an operator places the open end of the bag over the conduit or securing means 14 and clamps the bags neck thereagainst by closing clamp 16 through the movement of handle 40. Initially the operator places the bag at the lower or outer end of chute 18 and pulls the bag forward by its neck until the bags neck is positioned over and around the end of the conduit 14. This pulls the portion of the'bag containing the product up against and generally at least partially up the inclined chute 18. The operator holds the bag tensioned in this position with one hand while pushing the clamp handle 40 down with his other hand to close the clamp and secure the bag in position. The bag'is continuously pulled away from its securing means by or in response to the backward pull caused by the product in the bag sliding down the inclined plane which slants away from the securing means. After such processing as may be desired, such as vacuumizing the bag, the handle 40 is operated again by the operator who meshes inwardly on the plungeror unlocking element 60 which allows the arms 22 and 24 to spring open due to their natural bias from spring 46. If the apparatus,

which also serves as a product locator, is mounted on a conveying belt a camming element may be positioned to engage the outer end of the plunger and mesh it inwardly releasing the spring 58 from engagement in recess 56 allowing the arms 22 and 24 to spring open due to their open bias. It is contemplated that the bag may be closed and its neck severed before release. Thus the severed end of the bag would then be lifted off of the conduit 14 by the operator after the clamp opened. Of course, the severed end of the bag could be removed by other means such as an air blast. In its preferred usage the apparatus 11 is designed to mount bagged products for transportation horizontally in relatively laid down disposition and transversely to the direction in which the bags neck is disposed for processing and closing. This positions the bags neck in very desirable position for sequential actions to be carried out on it in line.

The shape of the circumferential clamping surfaces of the arms 22 and 24 and the areas leading into them is such that they cause or function to finally gather the neck of the bag about the conduit 14. The operator provides a general gathering of the bags neck but it is the arms 22 and 24 that provide the final gathering as they close about the bag neck. It should be observed that the region of the arms 22 and 24 that includes the circumferential clamping surfaces are somewhat scoop shaped so as to gather in the neck of the bag.

In certain preferred embodiments of the invention the spring 46 is replaced with a helical torsion spring mounted on shaft 28 and trapped at one end in a mounting moving with the shaft and at the other end against the housing 50 so that it is wound up by the closing of the arms and biases the arms to open position, partially unwinding as the arms open. The spring is mounted so that it has some open bias even when the arms 22 and 24 are fully open to hold the arms in open position.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, we have described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiments of our invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for positioning and holding the bag neck of a bagged product comprising:

a. bag neck securing means comprising:

i. open-ended conduit at least a portion of which is resilient and movable for alignment;

ii. first and second cooperating arms;

iii. a first shaft mounting one end of said first arm for pivotal movement;

iv. a second shaft adjacent to and having its axis parallel to the axis of said first shaft and mounting one end of said second arm for pivotal movement;

v. an interengaging gear fixed to each of said arms and associated with each of said shafts whereby when one arm is rotated the interengagement of the gears will cause the other arm to rotate in the opposite direction;

vi. biasing means including a spring mounted around said first shaft and a pin on said second shaft, said spring engaged about said pin to push said shafts into open pivotal rotation;

vii. catch means at the outer ends of said arms securing said arms together in a clamped position, said arms pivoting in parallel overlapping planes to close with one another and having overlapping surfaces at their outer ends that pass one another in closing, said catch means including a recess on one of said arms in said overlapping surface of said other arm and moving by its bias into said recess on full closure of said arms Vlll. a plunger on said arm with said recess communicable with the bottom of said recess for dislodging said spring means for opening said catch means;

ix. a complementary recessed portion in each of said arms forming a clamping surface thereon whereby a bag neck placed over said conduit can be clamped securely against said conduit by said clamping surfaces, said recessed portions conforming generally to the shape of said conduit which said recessed portions contact; and,

b. tensioning means comprising an inclined chute sloping away from said bag neck securing means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recessed portions forming said clamping surfaces are provided with resilient facing members.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a handle is associated with one of said arms whereby rotation of the handle will cause both of said arms to rotate about their respective pivots. 

1. An apparatus for positioning and holding the bag neck of a bagged product comprising: a. bag neck securing means comprising: i. open-ended conduit at least a portion of which is resilient and movable for alignment; ii. first and second cooperating arms; iii. a first shaft mounting one end of said first arm for pivotal movement; iv. a second shaft adjacent to and having its axis parallel to the axis of said first shaft and mounting one end of said second arm for pivotal movement; v. an interengaging gear fixed to each of said arms and associated with each of said shafts whereby when one arm is rotated the interengagement of the gears will cause the other arm to rotate in the opposite direction; vi. biasing means including a spring mounted around said first shaft and a pin on said second shaft, said spring engaged about said pin to push said shafts into open pivotal rotation; vii. catch means at the outer ends of said arms securing said arms together in a clamped position, said arms pivoting in parallel overlapping planes to close with one another and having overlapping surfaces at their outer ends that pass one another in closing, said catch means including a recess on one of said arms in said overlapping surface of said other arm and moving by its bias into said recess on full closure of said arms; viii. a plunger on said arm with said recess communicable with the bottom of said recess for dislodging said spring means for opening said catch means; ix. a complementary recessed portion in each of said arms forming a clamping surface thereon whereby a bag neck placed over said conduit can be clamped securely against said conduit by said clamping surfaces, said recessed portions conforming generally to the shape of said conduit which said recessed portions contact; and, b. tensioning means comprising an inclined chute sloping away from said bag neck securing means.
 1. An apparatus for positioning and holding the bag neck of a bagged product comprising: a. bag neck securing means comprising: i. open-ended conduit at least a portion of which is resilient and movable for alignment; ii. first and second cooperating arms; iii. a first shaft mounting one end of said first arm for pivotal movement; iv. a second shaft adjacent to and having its axis parallel to the axis of said first shaft and mounting one end of said second arm for pivotal movement; v. an interengaging gear fixed to each of said arms and associated with each of said shafts whereby when one arm is rotated the interengagement of the gears will cause the other arm to rotate in the opposite direction; vi. biasing means including a spring mounted around said first shaft and a pin on said second shaft, said spring engaged about said pin to push said shafts into open pivotal rotation; vii. catch means at the outer ends of said arms securing said arms together in a clamped position, said arms pivoting in parallel overlapping planes to close with one another and having overlapping surfaces at their outer ends that pass one another in closing, said catch means including a recess on one of said arms in said overlapping surface of said other arm and moving by its bias into said recess on full closure of said arms; viii. a plunger on said arm with said recess communicable with the bottom of said recess for dislodging said spring means for opening said catch means; ix. a complementary recessed portion in each of said arms forming a clamping surface thereon whereby a bag neck placed over said conduit can be clamped securely against said conduit by said clamping surfaces, said recessed portions conforming generally to the shape of said conduit which said recessed portions contact; and, b. tensioning means comprising an inclined chute sloping away from said bag neck securing means.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recessed portions forming said clamping surfaces are provided with resilient facing members. 